Agar agar leaves reader puzzled

No typo: Seaweed product helps food set, among other uses

Agar agar is taken from seaweed, is odorless and tasteless, and is often used in cooking in a manner similar to gelatin. Another place you might've seen agar agar: a petri dish, which contains agar jelly for bacterial culture, shown here in a microbiological laboratory in Berlin March 1, 2008.
(Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

A: No, Scott, not a typo. Agar agar, also known simply as agar, is a real ingredient. It is made from dried seaweed and has no taste. Agar agar has been used as a thickener for centuries in Japan, where it is known as "kanten." Unlike gelatin, agar agar is vegetarian. It is firmer than gelatin and sets at room temperature.